PowerBASIC vs FreeBASIC

Struggling to choose between PowerBASIC and FreeBASIC? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

PowerBASIC is a Development solution with tags like basic, windows, linux, macos, dos.

It boasts features such as Rapid application development environment, Compile to native, optimized executables and DLLs, Integrated debugger, GUI designer and controls, Database access and reporting tools, File I/O, networking, serial, printing, and multimedia support, Inline assembly language support, Royalty-free runtime libraries and pros including Very fast compile and execution speeds, Small executable sizes, Powerful language features, Backwards compatibility with older versions, Active user community and support.

On the other hand, FreeBASIC is a Development product tagged with basic, compiler, open-source, console, gui, web-applications.

Its standout features include Supports procedural and object-oriented programming, Syntax similar to QBasic/QuickBASIC, Can create console, GUI and web applications, Has bindings for GTK+, SDL, OpenGL, Allegro, etc, Can interface with C libraries, Supports multi-platform compilation for Windows, Linux and macOS, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Easy to learn for beginners, Fast compilation, Produces small and efficient executables, Large community support.

Feature	PowerBASIC	FreeBASIC
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Development	Development

Product Overview

PowerBASIC

Description: PowerBASIC is a commercial programming language for developing Windows, Linux, macOS, and DOS applications. It provides a BASIC-like syntax that compiles to native code for high performance.

FreeBASIC

Description: FreeBASIC is an open-source, free BASIC compiler for Windows, Linux, and macOS. It is compatible with QBasic/QuickBASIC and allows developers to easily create console, graphical GUI, and web applications. FreeBASIC supports modern features like object-oriented programming.

Key Features Comparison

PowerBASIC Features

• Rapid application development environment
• Compile to native, optimized executables and DLLs
• Integrated debugger
• GUI designer and controls
• Database access and reporting tools
• File I/O, networking, serial, printing, and multimedia support
• Inline assembly language support
• Royalty-free runtime libraries

FreeBASIC Features

• Supports procedural and object-oriented programming
• Syntax similar to QBasic/QuickBASIC
• Can create console, GUI and web applications
• Has bindings for GTK+, SDL, OpenGL, Allegro, etc
• Can interface with C libraries
• Supports multi-platform compilation for Windows, Linux and macOS

Pros & Cons Analysis

PowerBASIC

Pros

• Very fast compile and execution speeds
• Small executable sizes
• Powerful language features
• Backwards compatibility with older versions
• Active user community and support

Cons

• Windows-only (no cross-platform support)
• Steep learning curve compared to other BASICs
• Limited adoption outside niche user base
• No major updates in recent years

FreeBASIC

Pros

• Free and open source
• Easy to learn for beginners
• Fast compilation
• Produces small and efficient executables
• Large community support

Cons

• Not as full-featured as commercial BASIC dialects
• Limited IDE and debugging support
• Documentation can be lacking in some areas

Pricing Comparison

PowerBASIC

• One-time Purchase

FreeBASIC

• Open Source